From Rich Vleck
ROCHESTER, NY, (October 3, 2011)- Even though a race still remains on the 2011 schedule, preparations for the event to be held after the final race are already being made.
The date for the 2011 Patriot Sprint Tour Awards Banquet has now been confirmed, which will be held on the traditional weekend of Saturday, November 12. Back by popular demand, for the third consecutive year, it will be held at the Wildwood Country Club in Rush, NY. For the first time though, a new driver will take a seat the head table.
Jared Zimbardi, of Little Valley, NY, will be honored with his first career Patriot Sprint Tour Title. The 24-year-old was at the second table the last four seasons but finally had all the pieces come together this year, including three wins, the A-Verdi King of Upstate NY Championship and the Original Pizza Logs Dash Series Title.
Tim Kelly once again finished in the top-five of points but Brad Knab, Scott Kreutter and Steve Collins, the three drivers behind him in points, will be in the top-five for the first time. Knab will also score the Gater Racing News Hard Charger of the Season while Collins will officially be named the 2011 Insinger Race Fuels Patriot Rookie of the Year.
Don Adamczyk, Bryan Howland, Mitch Brown, Jeff Frasier and Shayne Ely will also partake in the point fund for their season-long dedication. These drivers finished sixth through 10th in points, respectively.
More than a dozen other drivers will also receive point fund including Dave Wickham, Dain Naida, Kyle Moffit and Dave Dykstra.
While most of the point fund distribution for 2011 has been settled, the Riverside Bar and Grill King of the St. Lawrence is still in question and will be decided October 15 at Brockville Ontario Speedway. Jared Zimbardi holds a 17 point advantage over Dave Dykstra, with youngster Devin Caron still in striking distance.
Other awards, such as the Patriot of the Year, Perfect Attendance, Dedication to Motorsports, and Worst Drawer of the Year are also to be distributed on this night of celebration.
As is customary, an informational meeting for drivers and teams will be held at 3:30 p.m. Early notes about the 2012 season will be touched on, along with rules changes and possible format modifications that are being made heading in to next season. Teams will also have an opportunity to discuss and a number of key issues.
Tickets are available for this year-end celebration, and can be secured by sending $35 per ticket to: Patriot Sprint Tour, 64 Straub Road, Rochester, NY 14626. Check may be made out to Patriot Sprint Tour. The deadline for ordering tickets is November 6.
The Wildwood Country Club is located just five miles south of the New York State Thruway in Rush, NY. For more information, visit www.GolfWildwood.com.
The banquet will kick off with a cocktail hour at 6:00 p.m. For more information, visit www.PatriotSprintTour.com.